This month's recipes are contributed
by the members of the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia.

Hickory Nut Cake
by Ed McDonald

Ed McDonald is the President of the
NFB of West Virginia. He says, "This McDonald family recipe goes back at
least as far as my great-grandmother. On the farm where my grandparents and
great-grandparents lived in Headsville, West Virginia, there is still a big
old hickory tree. Every two years this tree bears an abundant crop of nuts.
As a kid I remember helping my family gather these nuts off the ground and remove
the thick outer shell. They were an important ingredient for a lot of fall and
Christmas baking, including my birthday cake. I suppose some other type of nuts
could be substituted in this recipe, but the hickory nuts give the cake its
distinctive, even unique flavor. Hickory nuts may be hard to find nowadays,
but they are worth looking for."

Method: Cream butter, add sugar gradually,
and beat until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix a small amount of
the flour with nuts. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk. Mix after each
addition. Add vanilla. Stir in nuts. Beat the egg whites until they are very
stiff and carefully fold them into the batter. Pour into greased and floured
tube pan. Bake one hour at 325 degrees. Remove cake from the oven when a toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean. Place cake on cooling rack and allow it
to cool ten minutes before removing from the pan.

Baked Frankfurter Potato Salad
by Ed McDonald

In 1970 this recipe was included in
the Centennial Cookbook, collected and published by the Alumni Association of
the West Virginia School for the Blind. It was submitted by J.J. Ambler, an
Episcopal minister who, at the time, also taught math and science at the school.
(He is now a public school teacher in Virginia.) Mr. Ambler was one of those
teachers who had an impact on me that extended beyond the content of the course
he taught. When I went off to college and began doing some cooking for myself,
this is one of the first real recipes I tried--partly because it sounded good
and partly because it came from Mr. Ambler. Karen and I still enjoy it.

Method: Melt margarine in saucepan.
Remove 1 tablespoon and mix with crumbs. Set aside. Blend flour and seasonings
into remaining melted margarine. Gradually add milk and cook, stirring until
thickened. Remove from heat and blend in salad dressing. Reserve 1/4 cup of
this sauce for topping, and fold potatoes, green beans, and chopped onion into
mixture. Add all but six slices of frankfurter and spoon into shallow baking
dish. Garnish with reserved frankfurter slices and top with reserved sauce.
Sprinkle surface with crumbs. Bake in moderate oven, 350 degrees, for thirty
to forty minutes. Serve hot or cold. (Serves six.)

Taco Chili
by Karen McDonald

Karen and Ed McDonald were married at
the West Virginia convention last summer. Karen is a former president of the
Morgantown-Kingwood Chapter. A talented musician herself, she has become increasingly
involved in promoting the awareness and availability of Braille music. Karen
modified this recipe from a winning recipe in a Texas chili cook-off. It can
be served in a bowl as traditional chili, but she prefers to serve it as the
main ingredient for tacos or taco salads. It has been a long-time favorite of
her four children. If you can't take the heat, this recipe is not for you.

Victor Gonzalez is a long-time leader
of the National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia. He is a member of
the Clarksburg chapter, which celebrated its fortieth anniversary in February.
Throughout those forty years Victor has represented the chapter on the NFB of
West Virginia Board of Directors. He also established the committee of Federationists
which meets three times each year with representatives of state agencies that
provide services to the blind. He has chaired these meetings since the early
1960's. His wife Joyce currently serves as treasurer of the West Virginia affiliate.
Victor is the son of Spanish immigrants who settled in central West Virginia
during the early part of the century. There are still folks in the area who
make what they call Spanish sausage--a sort of link sausage containing a variety
of spices. About this recipe Victor writes, "During the Depression we had
a lot of one-pot meals. Joyce and I have this meal once a week. I prefer less
water than she does."

Method: Place sausage, kale, and beans
in a medium to large sauce pan or dutch oven. Add enough water to cover ingredients.
Cook for fifteen minutes. Add potatoes and cook for an additional half hour
or until potatoes are fully cooked. This recipe will serve two meals to four
people. A small head of cabbage may be substituted for the kale. The amount
of water will depend upon how much liquid you like in your stew. Just make sure
you use enough to insure that the ingredients do not burn or stick to the pan.

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Abby Hensley]

Mexican Corn Bread
by Abby Hensley

Abby Hensley has been treasurer of the
Huntington Chapter for nearly forty years. She and her late husband Guy Sebert
became active sighted members early in the history of the Huntington Chapter.
Now, in her early 80's, Abby continues to lead the chapter's fundraising efforts.
At state conventions she often shares with us an interesting recollection about
a person or event from the early days of the affiliate.

Method: Mix cornmeal, flour, sugar,
oil, and milk. Place half of mixture in bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle
the corn, cheese, onion, and peppers over the cornmeal mixture. Spread remaining
cornmeal mixture on top. Bake at 425 degrees for twenty to twenty-five minutes
or until done. (You may wish to add a little more cheese. Also cornmeal mixture
may be increased to make a larger pan of bread.)

Cavatini
by Barbara Olive

James and Barbara Olive are active members
of the Charleston Chapter. Barbara is chapter secretary, and James has become
increasingly active in support of the NFB of West Virginia's Braille literacy
legislation. Both are veteran employees of Bell Atlantic in West Virginia. Barbara
is a fine cook, and the following are some of their favorite recipes.

Method: Cook pasta according to package
directions and drain. Brown the ground meat and sausage until cooked and drain
well. Saute onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a little of the drippings or in
oil. Combine vegetables, meat mixture, pepperoni, pasta, and spaghetti sauce
and place in a 9-by-13-inch pan or four-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle grated
cheese on top and bake thirty-five to forty minutes at 350 degrees. You may
add other pizza toppings if you like.

Method: Mix together all ingredients
except cheese and taco or corn chips. In baking dish layer half of meat mixture,
half the broken taco chips, and half the cheese. Repeat these three layers.
Bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes.

Method: Drain and flake salmon, reserving
two tablespoons liquid. Combine all ingredients, including
reserved salmon liquid, and shape into a loaf. Place in a well-greased loaf
pan or on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for forty-five minutes.
Makes four to six servings.